It's no secret that I like tattoos.  I don't have the most in the world, and you really can't see the ones that I have - but they are there, and I am pretty proud of them.  Like most people with ink, I wish I would've put a little more thought and a little less liquid courage into my first one.  However, it stills has meaning to me - it features a fleur de lis, and reminds me of my time in the Boy Scouts.

In total, I have 4 tattoos and plan on getting at least 2 more.  2 years ago, I got an American Traditional Darth Vader at Ink Life Tour in Longview from local artist Larry Lyons.  I absolutely love it, and it reflects my love for the dark side (literally) of the greatest space opera known to man.  Check it out:

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Brandon Michael - TSM
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The question is: Why would you go for a local tattoo artist when over 200 of the country's best artist are there too?  The answer is actually the reason you should get a tattoo at this year's Ink Life Tour.  The competition and close proximity of these extremely talented artists brings out the best in them all.

First and foremost, none off the crappy tattoo makers (not artists) will set foot into a place that will immediately expose their suckery - so you are virtually guaranteed some high quality work.  Secondly, every one of these vetted pros will operating at the top of their game and will be using their best (and most likely bought exclusively for competitions) equipment and inks.   Most times, your tattoo says something special about you, in this very unique situation - you are getting a quality showpiece that says as much about the mastery of the artist as it does about the person wearing it.

If you are even on the fence about getting some quality ink, do your self a favor and get it at Ink Life.  Check out the work of artists featured there, reach out to them and set up an appointment during the show, and enjoy all of the music and crazy sideshows while you are there.  My buddy Carter wrote a cool story about the event with links to get you started.  Click the button below to find out more.

To make the whole thing even better, we are giving away some VIP passes that include entry to the show, backstage passes to meet Sunday's musical lineup, and a free ($300 value) tattoo!  Click the button below to get registered!

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